An unforgettable picture of love, loss and the keeping up of appearances.

Published as part of a beautifully designed series to mark the 40th anniversary of the Virago Modern Classics.

In the faded coastal village of Newby, everyone looks out for - and in on - each other, and beneath the deceptively sleepy exterior, passions run high. Beautiful divorcee Tory is painfully involved with her neighbour, Robert, while his wife Beth, Tory's best friend, is consumed by the worlds she creates in her novels, oblivious to the relationship developing next door.

Their daughter Prudence is aware, however, and is appalled by the treachery she observes. Mrs Bracey, an invalid whose grasp on life is slipping, forever peers from her window, constantly prodding her daughters for news of the outside world. And Lily Wilson, a lonely young widow, is frightened of her own home. Into their lives steps Bertram, a retired naval officer with the unfortunate capacity to inflict lasting damage while trying to do good.

Books included in the VMC 40th anniversary series include:

• Frost in May by Antonia White
• The Collected Stories of Grace Paley
• Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault
• The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter
• The Weather in the Streets by Rosamond Lehmann
• Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith
• The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• Heartburn by Nora Ephron
• The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy
• Memento Mori by Muriel Spark
• A View of the Harbour by Elizabeth Taylor
• and Faces in the Water by Janet Frame